


Noir 6

by WhiteEevee



Category: No. 6 (Anime & Manga), No. 6 - All Media Types, No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: AU, Gen, I Wrote This For Fun, Nezumi is a diva, No. 6 - Freeform, alternate writing of their first meeting, but I won't be writing the story, thirst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6970141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteEevee/pseuds/WhiteEevee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fresh from High school graduation, Shion moves to the infamous city of El Sancto on the opposite side of the country. Shion thinks he's there to look for a job and begin a promising future, but it rains and he finds something he might like better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Noir 6

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this chapter because the inspiration struck me and it was fun to brainstorm about. However, I won't be writing this story. Not now, and maybe not ever, because it would be monstrous and I've already done a monster fic. (Read In the Shadow of No. 6 if you haven't ;D) I'm not ready for that kind of a commitment again... >.>

“Shion? Shion!”

“Huh?” Shion turned to Safu.

Safu’s mouth twisted into a pout. “Here I am trying to congratulate you, and you aren’t hearing a word I say. As usual.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little overwhelmed, I think. But I _was_ listening.” Safu opened her mouth, but Shion predicted her question. “You just said, ‘The interviewers will try to give you a hard time because you’re young, but they’ll shut up once they see your résumé.’”

Safu’s eyes widened just the slightest bit and she closed her mouth. “Show off,” she mumbled, taking a sip of her black coffee and wincing at the bitterness. Safu wasn’t a fan of coffee, but she logged an obscene amount of hours at her new job, and tea wasn’t doing it for her anymore.

“Thanks for taking me out to dinner, Safu. I don’t know if I could survive here by myself…”

He eyed the street as he spoke. It seemed everything out the window was competing for his attention. The bright, twinkling lights glanced off the cars that streaked by. Huge billboards proclaimed the names of glitzy hotels, nightclubs, and top-notch restaurants in neon lights. Men in three-piece suits shared the sidewalk with girls dressed for a fun night out and homeless alike. He didn’t think there was a person over thirty-five.

These scenes never played out in his quiet hometown two thousand miles away. Shion had the disorienting realization that he was the out of place one here, sitting in this nondescript diner, wearing a yellow cardigan and jeans. If Safu hadn’t already settled herself in El Sancto a few months ago, he never would’ve agreed to come here for a job, no matter how amazing the work and pay was.

It was strange to think that one of the most influential research facilities in the world was situated just outside the city limits. El Sancto would give no one that impression. Shion wished he could turn the clock back and return to the moment when his mom was holding him tight in the bakery, the mouthwatering scent of fresh cherry cake on her apron.

The cherry cake in front of him was a poor substitute, but he picked at it for Safu’s sake. She had wanted to take him out as a combined housewarming gift and congratulations on receiving a callback for the job, and Shion was determined to be cheered.

“Well, like I was saying,” Safu continued. “If it’s anything like my interview—which I have no doubt it will be—they’ll offer you the job on the spot. All you have to do is show up.”

“I don’t know… I’m beginning to think I’m only here because you recommended me.”

“That's very flattering, Shion,” she said with a closed lipped smile, “but you know that’s not true. My recommendation only put you on their radar. The rest was all you and your big brain.”

“Yeah. I guess.” Shion ran his fingers through his bangs, hoping in some abstract way that disentangling the knots in his hair would do away with the ones forming in his stomach.

“That’s a nice watch.” Safu raised an eyebrow. “Not really your style, though.”

Safu didn’t mean it as an insult and Shion didn’t take it as one. It wasn’t anything he would have chosen for himself. His father had given it to him as a high school graduation present. Shion had been shocked when his mother handed him the watch; he didn’t even know how his father found out about his graduation, seeing as they hadn’t spoken in years.

The watch was very “El Sancto,” overlarge and brassy, which was no big surprise, considering his father lived in the city. He moved there very soon after Shion was born, apparently for no better reason than because he wanted to, and he didn’t much care if his wife and newborn son wanted to stay put. Shion’s mother never blamed him for it, though. She seemed resigned to the fact that some men weren’t made to settle; men like Shion’s father were made to gamble, drink, and sleep around.

The letter that his father enclosed with the watch congratulated Shion on becoming a man and offered the wristwatch up as a way of helping him look the part. It also invited him to visit his father and have drinks with him. Shion had frowned at that part, partially because he had little inclination to visit a man he hadn’t ever seen in person, but mostly because he was eighteen years old. He didn’t think he’d suddenly become legal because he moved to the other side of the country.

 _Then again, this place doesn’t seem to operate according to the laws I’m used to…_ A woman outside the window caught him staring and made a lewd gesture before he had time to look away. Shion ducked his head, feeling the burn of a blush all the way to the tips of his ears. El Sancto didn’t gain the nickname “Sin City” for nothing.

Safu frowned at him and glanced out the window, but the woman had already gone. Shion cleared his throat. “The watch was a gift. I thought I should wear it at least once.”

Safu pursed her lips. “Yeah, I’d say once is enough.”

Shion nodded and eyed the watch. “It’s getting kind of late.”

“What? It’s only nine! You’ve got to build up your stamina if you’re going to live here, Shion. The people in this city don’t sleep.” She took a big sip of her coffee to prove it.

“I’ll work on it, but not tonight.”

Safu huffed. “Alright, fine. If you’re so desperate to run back to your box-filled apartment, then go. Don’t worry about me; I’m only your best friend and the one footing the bill for that cake.”

Shion smiled in spite of his exhaustion. “Thank you for taking me out to dinner, Safu. I’ll buy next time—with the money I earn from my new job.”

Safu perked up. “That’s the spirit,” she said with a grin. “Alright, let’s see if we can get that lousy waiter’s attention… Do you want the rest of that cake wrapped?”

**** 

Shion waited with Safu until she managed to hail a taxi. “You sure you don’t want to ride with me? I don’t mind stopping off.” She threw open the door of the taxi and Shion got a whiff of stale cigarette smoke. He wrinkled his nose, but if Safu noticed, she wasn’t bothered.

“No thanks. It’s an easy walk.”

“Suit yourself.” Safu climbed into the cab. “Don’t get mugged!” Shion heard her call out of the window as the car peeled down the road.

Shion allowed himself a sigh and glanced down at the bag that held his leftover cake: tomorrow’s breakfast. He hadn’t had a chance yet to go grocery shopping and there was little in his apartment but instant noodles and other just-add-water delicacies. _That reminds me. I should figure out where the nearest supermarket is…_ He kept an eye out as he walked, but the first few buildings he saw were recreational establishments and a beauty salon.

Shion felt something heavy plop onto his head. He reached up and felt wetness. He tipped his head skyward, and a second later another drop spattered against his forehead, and then another and another. Shion stared in awe at the cloud-clogged sky. He wasn’t the only one; one by one people stopped and looked up, soft, gleeful murmurs escaping their lips. El Sancto received about 3.5 inches of annual rainfall, so this was an event worth marveling at.

 _A good omen?_ Shion smiled at the thought and closed his eyes against the raindrops.

And then the sky let loose a torrent.

Murmurs turned to shrieks, though most were not any less gleeful. _Give it a few months_ , Shion told himself. But just as tonight was not the night to train himself to function without sleep, he was not ready to become a worshipper of unexpected rainfall. The last thing he needed was to come down with a cold the day before his interview. He adjusted his grip on the bag and ran in the direction of his apartment.

It may not rain often in El Sancto, but when it did, it meant business. By the time he reached the end of the block, he was soaked through, and he still had several kilometers to go. _This is ridiculous._ He wiped the water from his eyes and spied the neon light of a convenience store. He bolted inside to buy an umbrella.

The rain was still going strong when he stepped outside with his purchase. With a resigned frown, he shifted to open the umbrella—and paused.

Someone had shouted, loud and close enough that he could hear it over the hiss of rain. He searched the street, but couldn’t see anyone who could have been the culprit. He was about to dismiss it, when a second sound, a hollow _bang_ off to his right, led him to peer into the alley at the side of the building.

It was a little difficult to make out, but it looked like two people. One of them was a huge man—that was unmistakable—and he was standing very close to the other, smaller person, who he assumed was a woman due to their slimness and long hair. For a second, Shion thought he had just stumbled upon a couple during a private moment, but he dismissed it the next second. The huge man was too close, bearing down on the woman, and Shion realized that she was pinned against a dumpster.

The woman raised her arm and punched the man in the face— _hard,_ by the looks of it. She pushed away from him and moved to leave. Shion stepped back, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, but then the man did something that froze him in place. He grabbed the woman by the arm, shoved her back against the dumpster, and pulled out a knife. Shion was almost certain it was a knife; what other slim, shiny object would a person hold out with such menace?

 _I have to help her._ This woman was in danger, and he was the only one around. _But how? I’m no match for him physically, and he’s armed._ Shion gathered his courage and moved a few steps into the alley.

“Hey!”

The man and the woman’s heads whipped around and Shion wound his arm up and chucked the unopened umbrella as hard as he could at the man’s face. _Please don’t miss_ , he prayed as it flew through the air.

It didn’t. It smashed square into the center of the man’s face, and he roared in pain. Shion leapt forward and grabbed the woman’s wrist.

“Run!” he yelled, even as he was already dragging her out of the alley behind him.

Shion could feel the water in his sneakers squelch every time his feet hit the pavement, but he pushed through the discomfort and kept running. He didn’t know where he was going, and he was so terrified they might be followed he might’ve kept on until he ran out of breath, if the woman didn’t call out to him.

“I think we’re good.”

The voice was low and masculine. Shion stopped abruptly and the person behind him had to skip sideways to avoid crashing into him. Shion stared, and felt a blush beginning to bloom in his cheeks. He had mistaken a slender build and longer hair to mean female, but the person before him was unmistakably male.

The man swatted at the hair sticking to the side of his face and grumbled. Shion stood dumbly in the downpour and watched as the man moved to stand against the window of the nearest building. He could leave now. His job was done, after all, and this was a complete stranger; he wasn’t obliged to stick around and talk to him.

So why did he want to? Something about this other man called to him. He seemed just as out of place as Shion felt in this new city, and Shion was desperate for a kindred spirit. Plus, standing at the side of the building would provide a brief reprieve from the rain.

The other man didn’t seem too surprised or bothered when Shion joined him. He didn’t even look at him, actually, but continued to growl at his soggy state under his breath. “I thought El Sancto was supposed to be _dry_.”

“No one who’s been here more than five seconds would call El Sancto ‘dry.’” His comment earned him an eyebrow raise from the man.

“True,” he agreed. “It’s a hell of a place. But, alas, I still look like a drowned rat.”

“You look…” Shion paused. The man was very handsome, even with his hair hanging in damp bunches around his face. But one does not say, “You look very handsome,” to a complete stranger. At least Shion didn’t. “You look fine.”

The man blew out a breath and leaned his head back against the window.

“…That guy before, did you know him?”

“Hell no. The guy thought I was a chick. I don't know how the glaring lack of tits didn't tip him off, but hey, idiots are a dime a dozen in this city.” Shion laughed nervously and the man side-eyed him. “Nice throw, by the way. What’d you chuck at him?”

“What? Oh… An umbrella.”

“An umbrella?”

“Yeah. It was all I had. I just bought it in the convenience store.”

The man blinked at him, and then burst into laughter. The reaction startled Shion at first, but soon his body flooded with a pleasant warmth. The man’s laughter was such a delighted and surprised sound, and it made Shion feel like he had done something truly brilliant and heroic.

Watching him now, Shion was struck with just how young the man was. They looked about the same age. _Could he be new here too?_ He had nothing to back up this assumption, but Shion felt almost certain it was correct.

The man ran his fingers through his hair to slick it back, and Shion caught a flash of dark brown on the shoulder of his shirt.

“You’re cut!” he blurted. The knife must have nicked him when Shion yanked him away.

The man twisted his arm to look. “Oh. I didn’t even feel that.”

“You should go to the hospital; it might need stitches.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just leave it as is.”

Shion gnawed his lower lip and stared at the man. He felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility towards him. Maybe it was because he looked so delicate; maybe it was because he had already saved him once; or maybe it was because he was lonely in a new city and it was this man’s bad luck that Shion had latched onto him as a possible friend. Regardless of the reason, he wanted to help.

“You should at least put a bandage on it.”

The man only shrugged. Shion cast his glance around. _I know this area_. They were only a block down from his apartment. He must have unconsciously run in this direction when he was making his escape. Shion brightened.

“My apartment is really close to here. I have a first-aid kit you could use.”

The man paused and narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re inviting me to your apartment?”

“Well, yeah.”

“That's pretty forward. I don't even know you.”

“Oh!” Shion suddenly caught his meaning. “No, I didn't mean anything weird by it! I just thought since it was raining and you have a cut on your arm— But— Uh…” A second wave of embarrassment and realization hit him, and a nervous laugh escaped his lips before he could smother it. He cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah, but you're right. I mean, the last thing you probably want to do is accept a stranger's invitation when you were just… Eh…”

_God, I just made it so much more awkward. Just shut up, Shion!_

The man’s leer had transformed into a look of amusement. “Okay.”

“Sorry, I'm just—” The words died in Shion’s throat. “What?”

“Okay,” he repeated with a shrug. “It’s raining buckets, I'm not going to turn down an invitation to get dry. You said your apartment isn’t far?”

“Um, yes. It’s just ahead.”

“Fabulous.” He flashed a dazzling smile. “Lead the way.”

Shion furrowed his brow, but slowly stepped out into the rain. For some reason, he felt like he had been tricked. But that was absurd, since he was the one who offered in the first place.

 _Why_ did _I offer? I don't know this guy at all! Mom would be nervous. Safu would say I was an idiot. He could be a weirdo… And why would he agree to come?_ I _could be a weirdo, for all_ he _knows! I mean, I don’t have any bad intentions, but…_ Shion shook his head. _I have no idea what I’m doing._

He continued to freak out in silence, even as they mounted the steps to his apartment and Shion unlocked the door.

“So this is the home of my knight in shining armor,” the man said as he stepped over the threshold. “…Not much of a home, is it? You moving?”

The boxes littering the floor did give a very underwhelming impression, Shion knew. There were few rooms in the apartment: the kitchen and living space, and the bedroom, plus a bathroom. The bedroom was only large enough to fit a bed and a single dresser, so virtually everything Shion had brought with him was stuffed into the living area.

“Just moved in, actually.”

“And your first night you pick up a stray. You’re not going to last long here, I can already tell.”

“Is that what you are? A stray?”

The question seemed to catch the man off guard. He pursed his lips, and Shion got the feeling he was being reassessed. Instead of answering, the man weaved his way through the boxes to the couch and plopped down like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Where’s that first-aid kit you mentioned? Or was that just a pretense to lure me into your home?” He tilted his head. “Mm… Yes. You’re just innocent-looking enough to be a secret murderer.”

Shion felt petulant all of a sudden. “I’m not a secret murderer. Are _you_?”

“Come now, like I would admit to being a murderer,” he chided. “But I’m not. Promise.” The words were spoken with perfect innocence, but the man paired them with a mischievous smile that seemed to suggest the opposite.

Shion decided that since he was trying so hard to look unnerving, he was, in fact, telling the truth about not being a murderer. “I’ll go get the first-aid kit.”

He found the kit at the bottom of the box in his bathroom. Shion wrenched the small silver box free, and the motion sent a shiver down his spine. His cardigan was sticking to him like a frigid second skin.

 _I’ll get hypothermia at this rate_ , he thought half-seriously, and the serious half sent him rummaging through his drawers for a suitable change of clothes. _I should get clothes for… that guy_. Shion frowned. _I should introduce myself and ask for his name._

He returned to the living room area freshly dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and with a similar outfit for his guest. The man was lounging with his feet up on the coffee table. Shion paused to give a stern look, one that he knew by Safu’s admission made people feel like huge disappointments. The man’s brow creased, and Shion’s mouth pressed into an even firmer line. Slowly, begrudgingly, the man’s feet slid back to the floor. Shion smiled.

“Here, I’ve brought you a change of clothes.”

The man caught the clothes that were tossed to him and held up the t-shirt for inspection. He stared at it long and hard, and the look of bewilderment on his face made Shion’s insides twist. He realized then that the clothes the man was wearing were much more fashionable than anything he owed, and although Safu and his mother liked the way he dressed, he knew he wasn't stylish.

The man glanced up and met Shion’s eyes with a hard look. He flipped the shirt around. “Where the hell did you get this?”

The front of the shirt had a picture of a cartoon ice cube with sunglasses, hanging in a hammock, and the text above it read: “Just chillin’.” Shion snorted. He had just grabbed the first shirt he saw that he thought might fit the other man, but this was definitely a winner.

“You know… I really don’t remember. I think my mom’s friend?”

“Please tell me you never wear this.”

“I don’t, I promise. But I strongly advise that you wear it. I know it's stupid, but if you don't put on some dry clothes you could catch a cold.”

The thoughtful look returned to the man’s face, and this time his grey eyes shone with an edge of suspicion. _Grey eyes?_ Shion blinked. He had never seen eyes that light before. The man’s dark, almost black hair and pale skin made them seem luminescent in the gloom of his apartment. Shion’s eyes began to wander. Strong bone structure, and, as he observed earlier, very handsome. These features, coupled with the longer hair, gave the man an androgynous look. He didn’t blame himself so much now for mistaking him for a woman. Shion couldn’t even begin to guess the man’s ethnicity. He was ambiguously beautiful.

The man shifted on the couch, angling his body farther away from where Shion was hovering. “What’s that look for?” he said lowly.

Shion’s cheeks heated instantly. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare... You don’t have to wear the shirt if you don’t want to; I just thought you’d like to get dry. You can take a shower too, if you want.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “You are really, _really_ weird, do you know that? Is taking strangers home to clothe them and tend their wounds your hobby or something?”

Shion bit his lip. He wasn’t any closer to answering those questions than he was when they walked in together—or when they were out in the rain and he made the offer, for that matter.

“How can you be so open with a stranger? You don't even know my name.”

“Oh!” Shion snatched at that thread of conversation. This, at least, he could answer. “That's right; we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Shion.”

“Sean?”

“No, _Shi-on_. It’s Japanese. For aster.”

“Hm…”

Shion knew that look. He was a quarter Japanese on his mother’s side, and he had inherited his dark eyes from her, but he had also inherited his father’s white-blond hair. Most took a look at his vaguely Asian features and suspected him of dying his hair.

“What’s your name?”

“Sean.” The man’s mouth pulled into a broad grin. “It’s Irish. For James.”

“Right…” Shion sighed. He was tired of not having a name to go with the man in front of him, so real or not, Sean it would be. “And how old are you, ‘Sean’?”

“Why? Thinking of making a move? If so, you’re in for a disappointment; I’m not legal.” The man began to peel his wet shirt off. “I turn eighteen in November though, so stay strong.”

Shion blinked. _He’s younger than me?_ _Only by two months, though._ Shion himself had only just turned eighteen a few weeks ago. _What’s he doing here?_

The man hissed. Shion snapped out of his musings and moved to the couch, first-aid kit in hand. “Let me take a look at your shoulder.”

The man had his shirt halfway up, and he clenched his teeth as he pulled it the rest of the way off. Shion inspected the wound. The cut was clean, about two inches long, and not bleeding much anymore.

“It doesn’t look like it needs stitches. You’re lucky.”

“That guy is lucky,” he spat, staring at the gash with distain. “One more second, and it would’ve been him with the knife wound.”

Shion hummed in answer, but he was too busy wrapping gauze around the man’s shoulder to acknowledge his comment further. Apparently, the man wanted to be contradicted, because he continued.

“I didn’t need your help, you know. I had it under control—you saved the other guy, actually.”

Shion frowned as he taped the gauze down. The bravado in the man’s voice made him seem even younger. How was it that he ended up in that alley? He wasn’t native, Shion had gleaned that much. So where were his parents? He couldn’t be here alone, could he?

 _What if he’s a runaway?_ El Sancto was a popular gathering place of runaways and degenerates alike. It was one of the only places to which misfits and magnates were equally attracted. The thought struck a chord in Shion’s chest.

“Sean—”

The man was holding a knife in his hand. A small pocketknife: a few inches long and glistening sharply against the light. The man watched him, and smirked when he realized Shion had noticed the weapon.

“What?” he chirped. “You think a pretty face like this would go waltzing around Sin City without protection?” He twirled the knife in his hand. “I don’t need airheaded do-gooders like you to save me; I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

Seeing the haughty smirk on the man’s face as he held the knife, Shion felt sad. Of course, part of him was disturbed and alarmed that the virtual stranger he let into his home was armed and maybe dangerous, but his pity was stronger. This man—still a teen, technically—was almost certainly a runaway. This was worrying in its own right, but the man’s suspicion, and his forethought in bringing protection against possible threats, meant that he hadn’t decided to run away on a whim. He had planned, he knew the risks of his destination, and he went through with it anyway, seemingly without remorse. For no rational reason, Shion began to fret about under what circumstances this man had fled.

The man was growing perturbed again, maybe because Shion failed to freak out about, or even react to, the knife he had whipped out of nowhere. Shion cleared his throat.

“Do you like hot chocolate?”

“—Huh?”

“I'm going to make some for myself, so I can make a mug for you too, if you’d like. It's nothing special, just the instant stuff, but it'll be warm.”

“I…” The man’s brow furrowed. It was almost funny how dumbfounded he looked. At last, he simply shook his head. “Sure. Why not?” He clipped his knife shut and stood up to slide it back into his pocket “While you're offering, do you have any food?”

Shion crossed to the kitchen area and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet above the sink. “Well, I have some leftover cherry cake. There isn’t much else than that, but I could—”

“Cake is fine.”

Shion flinched. The man was right behind him. _I didn’t even hear him_. _Maybe I should_ _be a little more wary of this person. He_ does _have a knife, after all._ But even as he thought this, he was having difficulty drumming up much fear. The other man just didn’t raise his alarms.

Safu was convinced Shion had a poor sense of awareness and an even poorer sense of self-preservation. The way she put it, he made altruism look like recklessness. Shion disagreed with her; he had a very good sense for people, and they often surprised you. He knew fear, and he knew that if this man suddenly became a threat to his life, he would sense it. But right now, he saw only a young man who was alone in a foreign place, and who was afraid to accept kindness for fear that it belied a more sinister intent.

The man pawed through the bag on the counter, pulling the box of cherry cake loose. Shion grabbed a fork from a drawer and handed it to him, before tearing open the hot chocolate. The man glanced at the discarded packets.

“Oh, wow. Swiss Miss.” He flashed a smile at Shion. “You must be a hit with the ladies.”

Shion opened his mouth to retort, but he was suddenly keenly aware that the other man was still shirtless. “Can you…” Shion’s eyes darted away. “Can you put on a shirt?”

“Hm? You don’t like what I’m wearing now?”

“Please.” Shion turned to the water heater, but he could _feel_ the smirk the man was wearing at his expense.

A low chuckle escaped from the man’s throat. “Yes, Your Shyness, if it so pleases you.” For all his sass, Shion was relieved to see him return to the couch and pull on the t-shirt. It looked ridiculous. Shion laughed and told him so.

“Hey, your shirt, not mine. Now, where is my hot chocolate? Chop-chop, I’m dying of hypothermia over here.”

Shion snorted and set the mug down next to the cherry cake. “ _You’re_ not shy, that’s for sure.”

The man shrugged and reassumed his spot by the counter. “Shyness gets you nowhere in this world. You gotta take what you want. Like so.” He stabbed a piece of cake and popped it into his mouth.

“I’m not sure I buy that.”

The man shrugged again and continued to eat and sip the hot chocolate. He looked like he was enjoying himself, and Shion wondered again about his circumstances.

“So… What brings you to El Sancto?”

“Why do you ask?” came the prompt answer.

“Just wondering. You don’t seem to be from around here.”

“That’s presumptuous of you. I could very well be a resident of El Sancto.”

“You’re not.”

The words slipped out before Shion’s brain had time to catch up. _Crap._ _That sounded really pushy._ If the man thought he was presumptuous before, he must think him downright rude now. The man’s eyebrow arched.

“Oh?” he drawled. “You’ve got me all figured out, huh?” He leaned forward on the counter and rested his chin on his knuckle. “Let’s have it, Sherlock.”

It was his smile that did it. It was so cocky and derisive, and it lit a competitive fire in the pit of Shion’s stomach. He leaned forward on the counter as well, although not quite so close to the other man; he didn’t know how he would react, after all.

“You commented outside, ‘I thought El Sancto was supposed to be dry,’ which led me to believe you hadn’t been here long. Not conclusive evidence, I admit, but then, when we came into my apartment, you called yourself a ‘stray.’ So I thought, he hasn’t been here long and I found him in the street, apparently with nowhere to go. Those things, plus your young age, made me think: runaway. A runaway who carries a knife around for protection; you’re used to relying on yourself. You’re streetwise and careful—careful, but not easily frightened. I mean, you chose El Sancto of all places to escape to.”

The man was still smiling, but it looked fixed there, stony and even a bit hostile. Shion thought he should probably stop—he had definitely hit a sore spot—but the words kept bubbling from his lips.

“Why here? You have to be pretty desperate, or maybe just confident. I don’t know. But I do know you ran away. Not on the spur of the moment, either. You’ve been planning this for a long time. What I don’t understand is why—I mean, why _now_? You’re two months away from eighteen and full adulthood, so it must have been bad, for someone like you to want to run away to one of the most dangerous cities in the country…”

The smile was gone. The man was now glaring, and Shion’s confidence was caving in fast.

Shion cleared his throat and ended in a small voice, “And… that’s all I have.”

“Interesting,” the man said flatly. “I think it’s my turn now. You’re, what? Eighteen? Fresh out of high school and moving to the big city? I’ll bet you’re a small town kid. Grew up with a loving family in a middle class neighborhood, told from the day you were born you were destined for great things. That would explain why you’re such an ignorant goody-two shoes. You can’t have experienced many hardships; otherwise you couldn’t be so soft. Bet your worst memory was the day you got second place in the science fair.

“Tell me, _Shion,_ what is a good kid like you doing in El Sancto? Last time I checked, there aren’t any first-rate universities nearby.”

Shion stared, dumbfounded. No one had ever spoken to him with such distain before, and he felt embarrassed at the level of his shock. It was as though his surprise was confirmation of all the things the man accused him of. He _had_ grown up in a small town with a loving mother and in relative comfort. The only thing the man said that wasn’t correct was about the science fair—he had gotten first place. Shion’s cheeks burned.

“I’m not going to college,” he blurted, maybe a little louder than he intended. “I…” His stomach twisted. “I’m here for a job interview at Twilight Labs...”

“Oh, _wow_.”

Shion winced at his tone.

“A job at Twilight Labs straight out of high school? I’ve never heard of the place, but it sounds top-notch. You some kind of research prodigy?”

“No, I’m not. It’s just an interview. It’s not like I have the job yet. I only have an interview because my friend put in a good word for me, anyway.”

“Oh, well. That’s nice. You must be very thankful to have such a friend.”

Shion knew his face was bright red by now. He hated that this man had made him feel ashamed for his accomplishments. It _was_ nice of Safu to recommend him, and he _was_ thankful.

“That’s a nice watch,” the man said suddenly.

Shion glanced down, but he was too flustered to do anything but mutter a half-hearted “thanks.”

The man kept his eyes fixed on the watch and took a sip of his hot chocolate. “Doesn’t suit you, though.”

“It was a gift,” Shion mumbled. “I don’t even like it.”

The man shook his head, but didn’t say anything. It was quiet after that. The man finished the cake and drained his hot chocolate, while Shion sipped morosely at his own drink. It had turned cold before he was done.

“Did I hurt your feelings?” Shion peered at the man through the fringe of his bangs. His face was blank. “I meant to hurt your feelings,” he said after a moment of Shion’s silence.

“That’s really shitty.” Shion tried to inject some venom into the words, but he just succeeded in sounding wounded.

The man nodded. “I don’t like to apologize, so I wouldn’t hold your breath if I were you.”

Shion’s face soured. He snatched the empty plate and mug from in front of the man and slid them into the sink to be washed when he was less annoyed. _I should make_ “Sean” _wash his own dishes, in fact._

The man chuckled. “You think I’m a bastard, don’t you? I know that look—I’ve seen it in the faces of every family I’ve been handed off to. People will tolerate a biological bastard, but they make no allowances for foster kids.” He smiled wanly. “The agency says I’ve got a record going for me.”

The man said all this calmly, and he even seemed a little proud of his reputation. It didn’t escape Shion that he was finally admitting something personal. Maybe this was his way of apologizing for the cruelty, without actually acknowledging he’d done wrong.

 _A foster kid._ It was even more mystifying now that he had chosen to run away; he was only two months away from being released from state care. But the man didn’t offer an explanation, and Shion didn’t dare pry.

Shion breathed deeply. “I don’t know what your plans are, but you can stay here tonight, if you’d like.”

The man held Shion’s gaze. He didn’t look surprised, and Shion might’ve thought the words escaped him, if not for the ghost of a smile on his lips. At last, the man looked away.

“I give up,” he said with a laugh. Shion didn’t bother asking what he had forfeited. The man swung around and fell back onto the couch. “I’ll take the couch, I suppose?”

“You’re not sharing my bed, if that’s what you’re hoping. There is a limit to my kindness.”

The man bit down on his lip to keep his grin at bay. “Ah well. Thanks for letting me squat here anyway.”

****

Shion woke lazily the next morning. He stared up at the ceiling, wondering whether it was possible that everything that happened last night was a dream. _I haven’t been here more than a few days, and I’ve already involved myself in something strange... I suppose I should check on Sean. My guess is he’s gone._ The man seemed like the type to sneak out in the dead of night. Shion wasn’t sure if he would prefer him to be gone or not. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed to check.

The man had indeed absconded in the dead of night. With all the food in the cabinets. Every cabinet door was wide open, left that way, Shion guessed, just so he would know what his openness had cost him. Shion stood frozen at the mouth of his kitchen, gawking at the spaces his packets of ramen and sleeves of crackers once occupied.

Something was on the counter. Shion forced himself to approach. It was a single packet of Swiss Miss hot chocolate, and next to it was a slip of paper. Shion picked it up: “Thanks!” it read in capital letters, and there was a smiley face drawn beneath it. Shion stared at it for a long time.

_This guy…_

Shion’s eye happened to catch the light of his microwave’s digital clock. _11:06._ The interview was at 9:00am.

“ _Shit!_ ” Shion glanced frantically around the room. If he left now it would still be thirty minutes to Twilight Labs.

Whatever he did, he wasn’t getting the job.

 _Why didn’t my alarm go off?_ Shion clearly remembered setting his watch for seven forty-five and placing it on the bedside table. The watch was not on the bedside table when he went back to check, and it wasn’t on the floor or caught in the sheets of his bed. A sick feeling pooled in the pit of Shion’s stomach.

He made his way back to the living room and plopped down on the couch. Paper crinkled in his hand; he was still holding the note. _He must have been really desperate. Or inconsiderate._ Shion furrowed his brow. _I should be angry, shouldn’t I?_ But he wasn’t. He wasn’t angry or annoyed or sad. If anything, he was in awe.

 _I must be in shock._ Shion sighed and looked at the clock again. What was he going to tell Safu? Or his mom, for that matter?

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking of maybe doing a first chapter for many different AUs and making a collection. They wouldn't come out in any kind of timely manner, but I have some ideas for a zombie AU, and a HP AU, the classic college AU that some people love and others loathe... If you like the idea, you can leave a type of AU in the comments and maybe I'll write it. The first chapter that is.


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